, sister of the preceding, and his superior in talents, was born at Havre-de-Grace in 1607,
, sister of the preceding,
and his superior in talents, was born at Havre-de-Grace in
1607, and became very eminent for her wit and her writings. She went earty to Paris, where she gained admission into the assemblies of learning and fashion. Having
recourse, like her brother, to the pen, she gratified the taste
of the age for romances, by various productions of that
kind, which were very eagerly read, and even procured
her literary honours. The celebrated academy of the
Ricovrati at Padua complimented her with a place in their
society; and some great personages showed their regard
by presents, and other marks of esteem. The prince of
Paderborn, bishop of Munster, sent her his works and a
medal; and Christina of Sweden often wrote to her, settled on her a pension, and sent her her picture. Cardinal
Mazarin left her an annuity by his will: and Lewis XIV.
in 1683, at the solicitation of M. de Maintenon, settled
a good pension upon her, which was punctually paid.
His majesty also appointed her a special audience to receive
her acknowledgments, and paid her some very flattering
compliments. She had an extensive correspondence with
men of learning and wit: and her house at Paris was the
rendezvous of all who would be thought to patronize genius. She died in 1701, aged 94; and two churches contended for the honour of possessing her remains, which
was thought a point of so much consequence, that nothing
less than the authority of the cardinal de Noailles, to whom
the affair was referred, *was sufficient to decide it. She
was a very voluminous writer as well as her brother, but of
more merit; and it is remarkable of this lady, that she obtained the first prize of eloquence founded by the academy. There is much common-place panegyric upon her
in the “Menagiana,
” from the personal regard Menage
had for her but her merits are better settled by Boileau,
in the “Discours
” prefixed to his dialogue entitled “Les
Hero des Roman.
” Her principal works are, “Artamene,
ou le Grand Cyrus,
” Clelie,
” Celanire, ou la Promenade de Versailles,
”
Ibrahim, ou l'Illustre Bassa,
” Almahide, ou PEsclave Reine,
” 1661, 8vo
” Mathilde d'Aguiiar,“1667, 8vo;
” Conversations et Entretiens," 10 vols. c. These last
conversations are thought the best of Mad Scuderi’s wo^ks,
but there was a time when English translations of her prolix
romances were read. What recommended them to the
French public was the traits of living characters which she
occasionally introduced.